The Terra Region
by HighOnCookies
Summary: Please ignore. Keeping it up in case I ever decide to continue it, which is pretty unlikely, but you never know.
1. Misty's Back!

**There's really no explanation for this.**

**Disclaimer: I think my other fanfics make it clear.**

* * *

As always, Pallet Town was a sunny, cheerful place. Brock had gone home to visit, and Professor Oak and Tracy had met Dawn face-to-face. After about an hour of listening to the old man's poetry(and suggesting Tracy draw her Buneary), Dawn followed Ash to the next place: Ash's mother's house.

After a few teasing remarks toward her son about Dawn's bike, Delia had welcomed the coordinator. Mimey had, too, though when Dawn had dropped something and broken it, they _did _get into a fight to clean it up. But something seemed to be distracting the woman, and Pikachu had a pretty good guess of what it was.

The electric rodent's suspicions were confirmed when Ash's mom turned her full attention back to her son.

"You know, Ash," Delia said, her expression a strange combination of amusement and seriousness. She winked down at Pikachu. "There was somebody who came asking for you. They seemed to know you and Brock were coming back..."

Ash jumped to his feet. There was only one person, aside from those in Pallet, that he told about his return to Kanto. "Where is she, Mom?"

His mother laughed. "There's no hiding it from you, is there? I told her to hide out in your room. Be careful!"

The warning came too late. Ash, running at top speed with socks on, skidded to a halt and would have crashed into the wall if he hadn't grabbed onto the slightly open door frame and jerked himself to a quick but painful stop.

Looking inside, he was ambushed by an orange blur as his friend tackled him to the ground.

"Pinned you!" Misty cheered, scrambling to her feet.

Ash stood, too. "I wasn't ready, that's why."

Misty grinned mischievously. "Are you ready now?"

There was no time to answer, but instead of tackling him, she wrapped him in a crushing hug. Ash awkwardly put one arm around her - the other still hurting from his stop - and counted the floorboards behind her until she let go.

"Nice to see you again, Ketchum."

Now that she was a good four feet away, Ash realized his friend looked…different. He couldn't place it, though, and that bugged him.

"You've changed," he stated.

"Not really," she shrugged it off. "Just the hair. So, what's up?"

Her hair, that was it. It wasn't in the ponytail anymore. "Well, I brought Dawn," he shrugged. "You want to meet her?"

Misty grumbled something along the lines of "I'd rather not," but followed Ash anyway.


	2. A New Region

**I like Ikarishipping, and even though I like her, I'm sick of Dawn. Therefore, this.**

* * *

"Why aren't you at your Gym?" Dawn asked. She and Misty were on the fast track to being friends, and that led the coordinator to curiosity.

Misty ran her fingers through Pikachu's soft, staticky yellow fur. Dawn was holding Azurill, who had instantly liked her. "Well, since my sisters grew some brains, they're going to run the Gym for a while. That leaves me to go off to the Terra region."

"The Terra region?" Dawn repeated. "Brock's probably heard of it. What's it like over there?"

"Where is it?" Ash asked. He already felt a new adventure coming on.

"I'm not sure," Misty admitted. "Lily told me about it when they got back from their latest tour. They had a great time there, so I figured…"

She and Dawn both glanced at Ash at the same time. He was trying not to get too excited.

"Well?" Misty asked tauntingly. "Don't you want to come, catch new Pokemon, that sort of thing?"

"Of course," Ash grinned. "Are there Gyms there?"

"Duh!"

"All the better!"

Dawn, whom the two had all but forgotten, suddenly gasped and raced toward the window.

"I thought so!" she cried. "It _is _Paul!"

"Oh no, not Paul!" Misty gasped. She looked annoyed. "Who's Paul?"

"He's a big jerk that treats his Pokemon horribly," Dawn explained. "He and Ash are always at each other."

"So, basically, he's Ash's new rival, right?"

"Pretty much," Ash muttered, and he, Pikachu, and the girls all left the house.

"Hey, Paul!" he called. Paul turned his head involuntarily. "What are you doing in Pallet Town?"

"That's none of your business," Paul said coldly.

"Come on, Paul!" Dawn begged. "You already have the Kanto badges. Why…"

"If you must know, the boat to Terra comes in through Vermillion City. I'm only here because this is where I was dropped off."

"You're going to Terra, too?" Dawn asked, enthusiasm bubbling up in spite of herself. "So are Ash and Misty!"

Paul smirked. "Heaven help us."

Misty gritted her teeth and counted slowly to ten. Once she was positive she wouldn't lose control of her temper, she came up with a more rational, though quite possibly dangerous, idea.

"Dawn?" Misty asked innocently. "Care to escort Paul to the Terra region?"


	3. Traveling

**Haha, longest chapter so far!**

* * *

Paul, though shocked, managed to speak, which was more than Ash and Dawn were capable of. "I'll kill her. She's not even worth my time."

Though Misty knew he wouldn't, she handed Dawn her infamous mallet.

"Just for threats," she explained.

"But -"

"Dawn," Misty sighed, and started whispering. Dawn blinked, then turned back to Paul.

"Are you sure?" Dawn whimpered. Paul was just so…intimidating.

"Trust me."

"And this has nothing to do with Ash?"

Misty glared. "No. Besides, we're all going. We'll run into each other."

Dawn tightened her grip on the mallet. "I'll give it a shot."

Piplup and Pikachu exchanged a glance. This wasn't going to turn out well…

*

Dawn hadn't wanted to be alone with Paul until they got on the boat, so Paul had temporarily joined the friends, assumed the lead, and was dragging them to Viridian Forest. It was difficult for him, being in a group, and he was beginning to doubt they would reach Vermillion City in time.

And at the moment, Ash and Dawn's complaints of hunger were just about to drive him mad…

"Please, can we stop to eat?" Dawn begged. Ash's stomach seconded the motion, though the trainer himself had said nothing.

Paul glanced back at them. "I thought we were going to Terra."

"We are," Misty huffed. "But unless you're a robot, even you need to eat."

Paul growled. Yup, seriously doubting it. "Fine. One hour. Then we're _gone_, got it?"

The others were too hungry to hit him.

*

After a decent meal and with new energy, the four trainers and the Pokemon started the long hike through Viridian Forest.

"See, Paul?" Dawn was saying. "Was adapting a little a bad thing?"

He grunted and pushed forward, into the dark forest. "Let's go."

Dawn glanced at Ash and rolled her eyes. Still typical Paul.

Ash grinned back at her, unable to stop himself. However, he tripped over a random rock, only to be pulled back by a strong hand.

"Boo."

Three of four trainers jumped, Paul being the exception, of course. Brock chuckled and let his friend go.

"Sorry. I couldn't resist." He looked around, noticing the impatient figure leaning against a tree and glaring. He was about to ask, but decided against it.

"It's temporary," Ash explained, before brightening quite noticeably. "But look who else is here."

Misty waved. "Hey, Brock."

"You guys can catch up later," Paul growled. "I want to make it out of the forest by midnight."

Dawn pointed at Misty. "Her idea."


End file.
